Abrasive wet mop



June 23, 1959 A. REITER ABRASIVE WET MOP IN V EN TOR.

Ho OLPH RE/ TER 0 BY FI'TTORNEY United States Patent 2,891,270 Patented June 23, 1959 ABRASIVE WET MOP Adolph Reiter, New York, N.Y. Application October 25, 1955, Serial No. 542,700

8 Claims. (Cl. 15-119) My invention relates wet cleaning, devices or mops and is directed particularly to such devices combining high absorption with highly abrasive, scrubbing action.

The working surfaces of conventional sponge-type wet mops are either of sponge rubber, plastic sponge material or a cellulose sponge material. Though highly absorptive, such sponges are too soft for efiiciently cleaning most surfaces. The rubbing necessary to do a good cleaning job soon fractures,,frays or otherwise wears away the sponge surface, necessitating itsfrequent replacement. t

It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to'provide an improved cleaning device or mop that not only provides highly efiicient sponging action but which also has a highly abrasive working surface operative to efiiciently scrub the surface being cleaned with a minimum of effort.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cleaning device of the character described which comprises asponge covered with an apertured flexible fabric having edges contacting the surface being cleaned when the device is in use.

. Still another object of my invention is to provide a mop structure having a cleaning head of the character described and including mechanism for pressing the abrasive covering material tightly against the sponge for squeezing it and ejecting the liquid when rinsing the mop.

A further object is to provide a mop of the above nature in which the abrasive covering material can be simply and inexpensively replaced when Worn.

Still further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the more detailed description set forth ,below, it being understood that this description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and that various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a front view of the mop embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view on an enlarged scale, and with the upper portion of the handle broken away, of the mop shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating one form of a woven material that can be used in the protective and abrasiv mop cover;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another form of weave suitable for use as a sponge covering material according to my invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the weave shown in Fig. 4 illustrating the angular cross-sectional shape of the transverse filaments;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view with aportion broken away illustrating the invention applied to use in a hand cleaning implement or moppet;

Fig. 7 illustrates the construction of the abrasive and 2 protective cover used in the cleaning implement shown in Fig. 6 before insertion of the sponge;

Fig. 8 is an oblique view of an alternative abrasive filament that may be used in place of the filament of triangular cross-sectional shape shown in Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another weave providing raised surface portions for increased abrasive action.

In brief, the improved mop or moppet embodying the invention comprises a sponge member, preferably of cellulose sponge material, covered by a knitted, netted, braided or wovenmaterial' having, preferably, threads of substantially greater hardness than the hardness of the sponge member itself, such for example as a material made from mono-filaments or yarns or threads of one of the synthetic plastics such as nylon or saran. One important feature of my invention resides in the use of such mono-filaments or threads having an angular crosssectional shape, preferably a cross-sectional shape defining an odd number of acute angular longitudinal edges, in order that these edges will present an abrasive working edge when the material is pressed against the surface to be cleaned. The use of the absorptive sponge with the abrasive and protective cover combines the cleaning action effected by the suction and ejection of the clean ing solution with the scrubbing action of the abrasive cover. The openings in the sponge covering material are large enough so as not to restrict the flow of soapy water or other cleaning solution with which the device may be used. My invention also contemplates the use of a mechanism for removably holding the abrasive and protective cover in place around the underside of the sponge, the mechanism being operative by simple lever actionto squeeze and rinse the sponge by pressing it against a supporting member at the lower end of the mop handle.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 indicates in general an improved sponge mop embodying the invention, the same comprising a handle 12, a supporting member 14 to which the lower end of said handle isfixed at an angle, and a rectangular sponge member 16, preferably a cellulose sponge, secured against the underside of said supporting member. Fitted around the underside of the, sponge member 16 is a flexible cover member 18 woven, knitted, netted or braided of mono-filament or multi-filament material, preferably extruded plastic such as nylon or saran, or another material harder than the sponge material. As hereinbelow more fully described, the cover member material is preferably constructedof filaments of such cross-sectional shape, and the openings in the material are of such size as to provide unusual scrubbing action without hindering free flow of the cleaning solution to and from the sponge 16. The cover also has the advantage of protecting the sponge against damage due to fraying and fracturing. In order that the abrasive covering material 18 may conveniently be installed and replaced, its transverse ends are doubled over and sewn to provide loops 20 through which a pair of tubular support rods 22 can readily be inserted. The inner and outer rods 22 are centrally cross-drilled to receive the threaded stud ends of respective eyelets 24, 26. When installing a new cover member, the threaded studded ends of the eyelets 24, 26 are inserted in the drilled openings in the respective rods 20 after said rods have been positioned in the cover member. Small openings in the cover material can be provided if necessary. The eyelets 24, 26 are removably secured to the rod and cover assembly by wing nuts 28., Secured to the respective eyelets 24, 26 are the lower ends of the respective upperfand lower operating flexible cables 30, 32, said cables being guided in upper and lower screw eyes 34, 36 secured at positions near the lower end of said handle. The upper ends of the flexible operating cables 30, 32 terminate in loops secured in opposed openings in an operating lever 42. The upper end of the operating lever 42 is provided with opposed upper and lower side portions 44, 46 fulcrumed to the handle 12 as by cross .pin 48. The lengths of the operating cables 30, 32 are such that when the operating lever .42 is in the downward position, as illustrated in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, the cover member 18 snugly embraces the bottomand side surfaces of the sponge member 16 without squeezing. When the operating lever 42 is raised, as illustrated in broken lines in Fig. l, the flexible operating cables 30, 32 will pull the abrasive and fprotective cover member '18 up against the sponge member 16-to squeeze it tightly against the underside of the supporting member 14, thereby expelling liquid from the sponge. Upon release of the operating lever 42 the resiliency of the sponge will pull the cable'30, 32 and the operating lever 42 downwardly again into the normal use position. The front transverse edge of the sponge supporting member 14 preferably is rounded, as indicated at 50, so as to ofier a minimum of frictional resistance to sliding passage of the cover member 18 when pulled by the operating cable 30.

Preferably, the sponge cover .mernber 18 for use with the mop illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is fabricated in the design shown in Fig. 3 with small and large openings 52, 54 preferably having a length of 1/ and M" respectively. As described above, the material is preferably made of plastic mono-filaments having an angular cross-section. The cover material according to Fig. .3 provides abrasive scrubbing action, principally by contact of the surface being scrubbed against the edges of the small and large openings.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate another construction of'the material for covering the sponge in accordance with my invention which comprises hardextruded plastic strands 56 of triangular cross-section interwoven with preferably smaller diameter strands 58 of plastic or other material. While the weave shown in Figs. 4 and 5 can be used in conjunction with the mop shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is especially suitable for use in covering asmall sponge 66 (see Fig. 6) to provide a hand cleaning implement or moppet 62. Thus, the material shown in 4 can preferably be fabricated in tubular form and'then cut into short lengths 64, as showninFig. 7, one end of which is sewn closed, as indicated at 66, and the other end of which is sewn partially closed, as indicated at .68 and 70. The sewn length of tubular fabric 64 thus provided can bereadily turned inside out to allow insertion of the sponge 60 through the partially closed end to provide the cleaning implement shown in Fig. 6.

his to be noted that the material shown inFig. 4, by virtue of the strands 56 having angular cross-section with an odd number of angles, always presents a predominance of angular abrasive edges to the surface being scrubbed. Preferably, the triangular strands 56 extend transversely of the sides of the cleaning implement 62 so as to oifer the greatest scrubbing action in use.

Fig. 8 illustrates an alternative form of abrasive plastic filament 72having a cross-section in the shape of a star. Also, the filament 72 may be twisted so that when it is woven into cover material, sharp abrasive edges will be presented to the surface being cleaned no matter in which direction the material is scrubbed.

Fig. 9 illustrates an alternative construction of the cover material in which central strands 74 are interwoven with surrounding filaments, preferably of smaller diamter, to provide a plurality of protruding portions for increasing abrasive scrubbing action. The abrasive cover material illustrated in Fig.9 can be used eitherin the mop construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or in the hand cleaning implement or moppet illustrated in Fig. 6.

The various constructions of covering -material described above are also preferably sprayed or otherwise 4 processed with plastic binder material for locking the strands together.

While I have described my invention with reference to particular designs described and illustrated, it is to be noted that these embodiments are presented by way of explanation and example only and that the invention may take other forms without departing from its spirit and scope. Thus, for example, instead of using a rectangular sponge, a rectangular abrasive cover member and straight lengths of supporting tubes for the cover member, a round sponge and an abrasivec over member supported by a ring-shaped member pressing the sponge against a disc could as well be used. It will therefore be understood that my invention is not to be limited by the particular embodiments shown but only by the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A mop comprising a base structure, a handle extending upwardly from said base structure, a pad of spongy absorbent material secured against the .undersurface of said base structure, a fabric protective covering held against the under-surface of said spongy pad, said fabric covering comprising a plurality of interwoven strands defining a plurality of regularly spaced meshes, and means to pull said fabric covering up to squeeze said pad against said base structure for expressing liquid from said pad, the mutually common zones of the separating walls of said meshes being firmly interconnected, whereby relative displacement of said Walls at said mutually common zone thereof uponmoving said fabric-covered pad over a surface being 'mopped will be prevented.

2. A mop comprising a base structure, a handle extending upwardly from said base structure, a pad of spongy absorbent material securedagainst the undersurface of said base structure, a fabric protective covering held against the under-surface of said spongy pad, said fabric covering comprising a plurality of interfabricated synthetic plastic strands having greater abrasiveness than that of said pad, said fabric covering having a plurality of openings allowing free flow of liquids, said strands being locked together at their crossing points by a plastic binder material, and means to pull said fabric covering up to squeeze said pad against said base structure for pressing out liquid from said pad.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said strands are monofilamentary and of angular cross-section.

4. A mop comprising a long handle, a base member secured to one end of said handle, a pad of cellulose sponge material secured against the under-surface of said base member, a piece of fabric embracing the undersurface and sides of said sponge, and mechanism for pulling said fabric upwardly with respect to said base member for squeezing said sponge material thereagainst, said fabric being formed with a plurality of regularly spaced meshes having a minimum diameter of of an inch and comprising a plurality of crossing strands having an angular cross-section and being substantially harder than said cellulose sponge material, the crossing points of said strands being locked together by a binder material.

5. The mop defined in claim 4 wherein said fabricpulling mechanism comprises a pair of cables fixed at one end to opposed ends of said fabric, and a lever pivoted to said handle at a central position therealong, the other ends of said cables being secured to said lever, said lever being manually operatable to pull upwardly on said cables against the resilient opposing force of said sponge.

6. In a cleaning implement the combination comprising a stiff backing member, a pad of absorbent. material secured against the surface of said backing member, a fabric of interlocked plastic filaments covering the surface of said pad, said fabric being formed with a plurality of regularly spaced meshes having a 'minimum diameter of f of an inch, said fabric being of substantially greater abrasiveness than the abrasiveness of said pad, means for moving said fabric toward said backing for squeezing said pad against said backing member, said fabric moving means comprising mechanism including a multistrand wire cable operative to pull an edge of said fabric beyond said backing member in the direction away from said pad.

7. The mop defined in claim 4 wherein said fabricpulling mechanism comprises a multistrand wire cable fixed at one end to one end of said fabric, and mechanism on said handle at a central position therealong for pulling said cable upwardly to squeeze said pad against said base member.

8. The mop defined in claim 4 wherein said fabric pulling mechanism comprises a cable fixed at one end to one end of said fabric, and a lever pivoted to said handle at a central position therealong, said lever being manually operable to pull said cable axially of said handle and away from said pad for squeezing said pad against said base member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

